The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-06-30
Borrowing and Lending.
Spartanbura Spartan.

never HdVe duy uiouey W Ieuu uut Sau
always manage to raise few dollars TO .
accommodate one in great need, and at
great interest. I have some of the best
neighbors in the world, some of them
being more ready TO do kindness than
to receive one. They are not learned, or
great or fashionable, or rich, but they are
good and they have hearts Of flesh that
can be touched with neighbor's misfor.
tunes or even bad management. Last
month, I called at the house of one of
these neighbors, Mr.. Rushabead. In
passing the horse lot I overheard him
talking, with unusual emphasis, to old
Slowgo, and I caught these words: "I'll
be confound ifI do it. Allspring you've
been foolin' away your time, when I was
hard at work, and I've lent you flour, and
corn and given you garden seed and
plants and here you are wanting my
cradle to cut your small grain. just
won't do it. That's ALL" Being surpris,
ed at this sudden outburst from an even
tempered, good man, said to him after
the borrower had left, "You seem out of
sorts this moning." Ee replied: "Well,
its about time. 1t is real favor to some
men to lend them tools and horses and
wagons. They pay you back with big
interest. They are grateful for favors.
But there's old Slowgo. I've lent him
everything under the SUD, but the cd
woman here, and it does him no good.
He won't have anything and I'm tiredto
death lending 20 such. I've about made
up my mind not to keep this neighbor.
hood in tools any longer"
A few days after this ! called on an.
other friend, Mrs. Careful. found her
in her tidy kitchen Frightening up things
that we're already bright. We were soon
seated and talking away for life about all
the little nothipgs that interested us,
when in popped little, sloucby girl
with a bucket and cup. She aaid, as
though she was making demand: "My
mar says she wants to borrow acup Of
coffee and bucket of meal" Mrs.
Carefuls fine, benevolent face was cloud.M
ed, but she got up and got the things,
but not with the best grace. When the
little girl had left she said: "It does beat
all how some people borrow. It's an
eternal demand from Christmas to Christ.
mas and never any thanks for it. I Idon't
mind lending to most of my neighbors;
in fact I like to accommodate them, but
Mrs. Tiptop bothers me to death. Eve y
week she wants to borrow something.
There IS no special loss in it, for she
always pays back, but the annoyance and
the trouble and the little worriment al
most drives me crazy. Her husband is
able to provide for his family, and would
do it if he had careful, methodical wife.
But she does beat all. I sometimes make
up my mind never to lend her another
thing in the world"
These two incidents, with little ex-
perience Of my own, set me to thinking.
Borrowing is as old as the human family,
and l have an idea that man who never
borrows or lends is poor sort of fellow.
1t lis sign of intense selfshness or mean.
ness. But there is great deal of character
manifested both in borrowing and lending.
I had a neighbor once who always paid
back grudgingly, giving barely as much
as she received and generally of a poorer
quality. That is about as bad as not
paying at all. Then there was another
that always sent more of anything than
she borrowed, and requested me to take
out the proper quantity. That is also
bad way of paying back. Then I had
another neighbor who did not hesitate to
ask for anything. She was hospitable
and kind.hearted and sometimes her
house would be overaowing with suddcc
company. Then she would snatch little
time and run. over and borrow dishes, cold
ham, pies, preserves, cake, anything and
everything, and she always got whas she
wanted if I had it. That was because
she was able and willing to pay me back
and she did it cheerfully. Above all she
was thankful for the favors. After her
company had gone, she would run over,
her face all aglow, and before greeting
me she would burst out with some such
expression as this: "Well I don't know
what I would have done with my crowd,
if it hadn't been for you. That dish of
sliced ham saved me from confusion, and
the jar of preserves were praised and
devoured with great energy. Ifyou ever
get caught call on me-" Therein lay the
secret of borrowing and lending. The
favor was done without any grudging
and it was received with great thankful
ness. Such people never trouble one
when they borrow, but 1t is always
pleasure to do them favor. In country
neighborhoods borrowing is necessity
and it is sign Of good fellowship. 1t is
those little civilities that show the real
heart of people, and there is more Of
ones character manifested in the way a
horse or plowstock is returned, than in a
weeks talk. My neighbor Mr.. Rusha.
head was exactly right in his conclusions
as to furnishing his neighborhood with
tools, but after he cools off be will 60 on
with his lending, fer he has big heart.
The meaning of all this is that We are
going to have borrowers and lenders as
long as human society rests on its present
basis. If those who borrow would first
make an effort to have something of their
own and exercise grateful spirit they
would never be turned away empty. A
thankful heart covers multitude of little
inconveniences in the lending of things.
tt would be a selfish sort of world, If